Alignment station for aperture card photographic copying machine

ABSTRACT

A photographic copying machine has a card holder which picks up a topmost aperture card from a stack of these cards and carries the picked-up card to successively arranged operating stations. At several of the stations, a photosensitive film insert on the picked-up card is exposed and processed. At a preceding one of the stations, the picked-up card is temporarily released by the card holder and positioned in a given relation to such holder before again being picked-up. This is done to insure accurate registration of the film insert with the exposing and processing stations, when the card holder with the picked-up card arrives respectively at such stations.

United States Patent [1 1 Endter et al.

[ 1 Sept. 24, 1974 [75] Inventors: Dale S. Endter; Edwin E. Miller,

both of Rochester, NY.

[73] Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company,

Rochester, NY.

[22] Filed: Oct. 31, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 302,432

3,521,880 7/1970 Shebanow et a1 271/59 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,597,216 12/1970 Germany 271/58 Primary Examiner-Richard A. Schacher Assistant ExaminerBruce H. Stoner, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or FirmD. R. Arndt 5 7 ABSTRACT A photographic copying machine has a card holder which picks up a topmost aperture card from a stack of these cards and carries the picked-up card to successively arranged operating stations. At several of the stations, a photosensitive film insert on the picked-up card is exposed and processed. At a preceding one of the stations, the picked-up card is temporarily released by the card holder and positioned in a given relation to such holder before again being picked-up. This is done to insure accurate registration of the film insert with the exposing and processing stations, when the card holder with the picked-up card arrives re spectively at such stations.

5 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PAIENTEDSEPEMW a a?! 637 mm so: 5 a

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m9 r l 69 1 PO. am no. m: m i Q r N. L F 2;. ii 3; X mwb Fli ONLM S w ALIGNMENT STATION FOR APERTURE CARD PHOTOGRAPHIC COPYING MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a photographic copying machine in which an aperture card with a photosensitive film insert is carried to successively arranged operating stations for exposing and processing of such film insert. More particularly, the invention relates to means for accurately positioning the film insert for exposing and processing.

In the machine to which the present invention is directed a card holder utilizing a suction force picks up a topmost aperture card from a stack of such cards, at a first station, and thereafter carries the picked-up card to other, successively arranged, stations at which a film insert on the card is exposed and processed while the card holder is in mating engagement with those stations. To enable removal of the topmost card from the card stack, the entire card stack is incrementally raised to maintain the topmost card at a certain elevation. Moreover, to prevent possible binding or jamming, the stacked cards are allowed considerable lateral freedom at the first station. Consequently, when the topmost card is picked up by the suction force of the card holder, the card and the holder may not be aligned with sufficient accuracy to insure proper registration of the film insert with the exposing and processing stations when the holder is in mating engagement with those stations. In connection with the present invention reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,233,532 issued on Feb. 8, 1966 to Kutchera, 3,586,314 issued on June 22, 1971 to Samoggia, and 3,521,880 issued on July 28, 1970 to Shebanow et al, and to German Pat. No. 1,597,216 issued Dec. 23, 1970 to Fuji Shashin Film K.K.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A principle object of the present invention is to provide a card aligning or positioning station and to provide such a station that accurately positions an aperture card relative to a card holder before the holder is moved to another station.

A correlative object of the invention is to provide sensing means at such alignment station for detecting the absence of an aperture card.

Briefly, these and other objects of the present invention are accomplished in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, by means .of an alignment station to which an aperture card is delivered by a card holder after being removed from a card stack but before being carried to an exposure station. While the card holder is located at the alignment station, the card is temporarily released by deactivating vacuum means on the card holder and is contacted edgewise by movable adjusting fingers that accurately position the card with respect to he holder. Thereafter, the vacuum means is activated to pick up and hold the card on the holder. One of the adjusting fingers serves as a card sensor that is associated with a control device to signal a malfunction, for example, if the absence of a card is detected by that adjusting finger.

Various means for practicing the present invention and the advantages and novel features thereof, will be apparent from the following description of an illustrative preferred embodiment of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters denote like elements. In the drawings: 3

FIG. 1 is a somewhat simplified perspective view of a six station aperture card photographic copying machine which incorporates the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially cross sectioned view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an aperture card that can be used in the six station machine;

FIG. 4 is a perspective underside view of one of six identical card holders embodied in the illustrative machine;

FIG. 5 is a partially cross sectioned view of the card holder shown in FIG. 4, taken along the offset line 55 of that figure and showing the card holder in mating engagement with the top plate of an alignment station to which the invention is particularly directed;

FIG. 6 is a perspective top view of the alignment station;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view taken from the same viewpoint as FIG. 6, but showing certain internal members of the alignment station; and

FIG. 8 isa somewhat schematic illustration of electromechanical members associated with the alignment station.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first to FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, an illustrative photographic copying machine incorporating the present invention includes a frame 11 supporting a gearbox 12 having a rotatable vertical shaft 13 that carries a circular horizontal index turntable or dial 14. Six identical aperture card holders 15 are symmetrically spaced about an undersurface of the dial 14. The dial is mounted for indexing rotation through successive sixty degree increments and for vertical movement, to bring the card holders into superposed alignment with six symetrically spaced operating stations 16-21 secured to the frame 11 or to the gearbox 12. Although omitted in the drawings for purposes of clarity, the illustrated machine is enclosed in an external housing or cabinet that excludes ambient light from aperture cards individually carried by the card holders 15.

The gearbox 12 is best illustrated in FIG. 2 and includes a housing 22 provided with bushings 23 which support the dial shaft 13 both for horizontal rotation and also for vertical movement. A countershaft 24 is rotatably supported, parallel to the dial shaft 13, by bushings 25 and is connected to an intermittently operated gear reduction motor 26. A switching device, described later in detail, is adapted to control the motor 26 in a manner such that each time the motor is energized the countershaft 24 is rotated through a single 360 revolution and then stops with the dial shaft 13 at the depicted position. The countershaft 24 is connected to the dial shaft 13 by a generally conventional Geneva drive unit having a driving wheel 27 on the countershaft and a six position indexing wheel 28 on the dial shaft; whereby each complete revolution of he countershaft causes the dial 14 to rotate through a partial 60 revolution and to stop with the six card holders 15 in vertical alignment respectively with the six operating stations 16-21.

A driving pin 29 and a blocking hub 30 of the driving wheel 27 are of sufficient length to enable vertical movement of the dial shaft 13, the dial 14 and the card holders 15 from their illustrated lowered position to a raised position (not shown) at which the card holders are lifted from the operating stations 16-21 (but still aligned therewith). This vertical movement of the dial shaft 13 and the dial 14 is accomplished by a lever 31 pivotally connected, at one end, to the gearbox housing 22 by a pin 32. A roller 33 at an opposite end of the lever 31 rides in an annular slot 34 in the dial shaft 13 and a second roller 35 near the center of the lever is received in an annular cam slot 36 defined by opposed end faces of two barrel cam sleeves 37 and 38 on the countershaft 24. As the countershaft 24 begins to rotate, the cam slot 36 moves the roller 35 upwardly and thereby lifts the dial 14 to the raised position before the driving pin 29 enters one of six driving slots 39 in the indexing wheel 28 to effect indexing rotation of the dial through a 60 increment. After the dial 14 has been so rotated, the cam slot 36 causes the lever 31 to return the dial to the lower position and thereby seats the six card holders 15 in engagement respectively with the six operating stations 16-21, as described later in detail.

FIG. 3 illustrates an aperture card 41, which may be employed in the illustrative machine. As is well known in the art, such a card includes a generally rectangular sheet of relatively stiff paper or cardboard 42 having a rectangular opening or aperture 43 across which is positioned a photographic film insert 44. A stack of these cards 41 is placed in a card loading station 16 of the machine and the topmost card is picked-up by a different one of the card holders 15 during a respective operating cycle. After a picked-up card is positioned in a certain relation to the card holder therefor, at an alignment station 17, the film insert 44 on such card is exposed at an exposing station 18 and thereafter developed and stopped at a first processing station 19, fixed and washed at a second processing station and dried and discharged from the machine at an exit station 21.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, each of the six identical card holders 15 has an upper or top support plate 45 which is mounted to the undersurface of the dial 14 by several screws 46. A lower or bottom platen 47 is attached to the support plate 45 by four spaced helical compression springs 49 which have their respective opposite ends secured to he platen and the support plate. These springs are of the same strength and size. When a card holder 15 is in engagement with any one of the operating stations 16-21, the springs 49 will be slightly compressed. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the support plate 45 and the platen 47 have a plurality of L-shaped members 51 and 52, respectively, which couple or engage to establish a maximum distance of separation between the support plate and the platen when the card holder is not in engagement with the operating station and which uncouple or disengage, permitting compression of the springs 49, as the card holder is moved into engagement with the operating station.

The underside of the platen 47 is stepped to provide a card supporting surface 55 and a recessed surface 56. A pair of suction cups 57 and a pair of brackets 53 are mounted on the platen surface 56. The suction cups 57 are connected by a flexible vacuum line 58 to one of six identical valves 59, on the dial 14, which selectively controls evacuation of air from the suction cups as described later with reference to FIG. 8. The card grasping faces of the suction cups 57 and top faces 54 of the brackets 53 are disposed in substantially coplanar relation with the platen surface 55,'and serve to hold an aperture card 41 adjacent that surface with the film insert 41 aligned with a central film holding surface 61 of the platen. At opposite longitudinal edges of the held aperture card, two guide pins 62 project downwardly from the planten 47. As shown in FIG. 5, which illustrates a card holder 15 in engagement with the alignment station 17, the two guide pins 62 are separately received in two guide bushings 63 in a top plate 64 of that station. The pins 62 and the bushings 63 serve to mate and accurately align the platen 47 with the alignment station 17. Because the springs 49 serve to interconnect the support plate 45 and the platen 47, the platen can be moved in a lateral manner relative to the support plate to accommodate for inaccuracies in the alignment of the support plate with any one of theoperation stations 16-21.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 6 and 7, the alignment station 17 to which the present invention is directed includes a support box 65 mounted on a side of the gearbox housing 22 by a bracket 66. As shown in FIG. 6, the top plate 64 of the alignment station 17 is disposed within a top portion of the box 65 and is held in place by several screws 67. Three spacer buttons 68 project upwardly from the top plate 64 and are adapted to be contacted by the card supporting surface 55 of a platen 47 which is mated with the alignment station 17 to space that surface from the top plate by a distance somewhat greater than the thickness of an aperture card (see FIG. 5). When the suction cups 57 are deactivated, to remove the suction force therefrom as later described, an aperture card 41 carried by the platen having these cups drops onto the top plate 64 between five movable adjusting fingers 69-73. As shown in FIG. 6, these fingers 69-73 project upwardly from the top plate 64 and through respective rectangular plate openings 74-78. In FIG. 6, an aperture card 41 is shown in a desired or proper position between the adjusting fingers 69-73. In this position, the film piece 44 of such card will be in registration with the exposing station 18 and the first and second processing stations 19 and 20 when the card holder 15 carrying that card is moved respectively to such stations. The adjusting fingers 69-73 are depicted, in FIGS. 6 and 7, in respective idle or retracted positions. Because of the illustrated spacing between the card 41 and such retracted fingers, the card may not be in the desired position when first dropped onto the top plate 64 between those fingers. After the card has been released from the suction cups 57, a finger operating mechanism described later is energized to move the adjusting fingers 69-73 simultaneously toward the peripheral edges of the card to respective operative or forward positions. As shown in FIG. 6, the inwardly facing edges of plate openings 74-76 are aligned with the adjacent peripheral edges of a properly positioned card but the inwardly facing edges of the plate openings 77 and 78 are overlapped by the same card. Consequently, when the three adjusting fingers 69-71 are moved to their operative or forward positions, these fingers will be blocked by the inwardly facing edges of the plate openings 74-76 so as to define stops for two peripheral edges of the card. If the card is improperly positioned, such card will be pushed into edge contact with three fingers 69-71 by movement of the other two fingers 72 and 73 to their operative or forward positions, thereby accurately locating the card in the desired or proper position. After the card has been so located, initiation of the next indexing cycle first reactivates the suction cups 57, reeffecting the suction force, and subsequently causes the adjusting fingers 69-73 to return to their idle or retracted position. As will be appreciated, the card 41 will be picked up by the suction cups 57 and secured to the platen 47 in the desired or proper position.

The finger operating mechanism, shown in FIG. 7, includes a rotary solenoid 82 supported within the box 65 and provided with a disc 83 which is rotated in the direction shown by an arrow 84 whenever the rotary solenoid is electrically energized. The two adjusting fingers 69 and 70 project, upwardly through the plate openings 74 and 75, from a slide bar 85 slidably connected to an undersurface of the top plate 64 by two pins 86 extending through two slots 87, which is typical of the means used for movably supporting all of the slidable components of the finger operating mechanism. A tongue 88 is pivotally attached to the solenoid disc 83 by a crank pin 89 and is pivotally attached to the slide bar 85 by a coupled, tongue slot 80 and slide bar pin 81. A helical tension spring 91 interconnects the tongue 88 with a rigid member 92 fixed to the slide bar 85. When the rotary solenoid 82 is energized to rotate the solenoid disc 83 in the direction shown by the arrow 84, the tongue 88 pulls the adjusting fingers 69 and 70 (via the spring 91, the member 92 and the slide bar 85) to their operative or forward positions in abutment with the inner facing edges of the plate openings 74 and 75. In this way, the two adjusting fingers 69 and 70 will contact one peripheral edge of an aperture card 41 located between all five of such fingers (see FIG. 6).

The adjusting finger 71 projects, upwardly from the plate opening 76, from a slide bar 93 and is resiliently held by a helical tension spring 94 in endwise abutment with a slidable link bar 95 pivotally attached to the solenoid disc 83 by a crank pin 96. When the rotary solenoid 82 is energized, the link bar 95 pulls the adjusting finger 71 (via the slide bar 93 and the spring 94) into abutment with the inner facing edge of the plate opening 76. Whenthe link bar 95 comes to rest, such bar is slightly spaced from the slide bar 93, in opposition to the spring 94 which thereby resiliently holds the adjusting finger 71 in its operative or forward position. The adjusting finger 73 is pulled in exactly the same manner by a link bar 97 pivotally attached to the solenoid disc 83 by a crank pin 98 and coupled to a slide bar 99 by a helical tension spring 101. However, the spring 101 is considerably weaker than the spring 94 so that the adjusting finger 73 is stopped by abutment with one peripheral edge of the aperture card 41 without damaging the card or displacing the adjusting finger 71'from its operative or forward position. Thus, the adjusting finger 73 is not moved into abutment with the inner facing edge of the platen opening 78 (see FIG. 6). The adjusting finger 72 is a resiliently flexible operating arm of a normally open switch 102 mounted on a slide bar 103. The slide bar 103 is pivotally attached to the solenoid disc 83 by crank pin 104. Because the adjusting finger 72 is resiliently flexible, additional means equivalent to the spring 101 is not required to provide resilient abut ment of this finger with one peripheral edge of the aperture card 41. As will be apparent from FIG. 7, the crank pins 89, 96, 98 and 104 are equally spaced in a radial manner from the center of the solenoid 83.

Moreover, these crank pins are evenly spaced apart from each other. When the rotary solenoid 82 is deenergized, a return spring 79 rotates the solenoid disc 83 in a direction opposite to that shown by the arrow 84 so as to move such disc to an initial or original position and thereby positively restore all of the adjusting fingers 69-73 to their idle or retracted positions.

Referring now to FIG. 8 the valve 59 includes a shuttle piston 105 vertically movable in a cylinder bore 106 and normally maintained in the illustrated position within such bore by appropriate means such as a spring (not shown). In this position, an annular groove 107 on the piston 105 enables fluid communication between a valve inlet port .108 and the vacuum line 58 while a valve exhaust port 109 is closed by a lower portion of the piston. The valve inlet port 108 is connected by a flexible vacuum line 110 to a passageway 111 which passes from such line radially through a dial hub 112 and into a central passageway 113 in the dial shaft 13. Above the dial hub 112, a commutator member 114 is mounted on the dial shaft 13 by two bearings 115. The commutator member 114 is prevented from rotating with the dial shaft 13 by an arm 116, shown in FIG. 1, which has one end slidably supported within a slot 1 17 of a frame post 118. An annular groove 119 within the commutator member 114 is straddled by a pair of sealing rings 120 on the dial shaft 13 to effect an air tight condition between that groove and a passageway 121 extending from the groove into the dial shaft passageway 113. Another passageway 122 interconnects the groove 119 with a flexible vacuum line 123 which is coupled to a vacuum supply source represented by a vacuum pump 124. In this manner, as can be realized from FIGS. 1 and 8, a vacuum is supplied to the six valves 59 respectively associated with the six card holders 15.

To control the valves 59, selectively, the piston 105 in each one of these valves is pivotally attached by a pin 125 to a piston actuator bar 126 which in turn is pivotally attached by a pin 127 to a body portion of the one valve. In the illustrated position of the piston actuator bar 126, a vacuum is supplied to the respective card holders 15 notwithstanding indexing rotation of the dial 14. When an aperture card 41 is carried to the alignment station 17 by a card holder 15, the vacuum supplied to the valve 59 associated with such holder must be shut off to permit release of the card by the suction cups 57, for subsequent positioning of the card by the adjusting fingers 69-73 in the manner previously described. This vacuum shut-off is brought about at the instant that the dial l4 lowers to the lowered position shown in FIG. 2, and is effected by movement of one end of the piston actuator bar 126 into contact with one end of a stop bar 128 located at the alignment station 17. In an operative position, illustrated in solid line, the stop bar 128 causes the piston actuator bar 126 to pivot in a counterclockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 8) about the pin 127 so as to pull the piston 105 downwardly. This serves to vent the vacuum line 58 to the atmosphere by bringing the piston groove 107 into alignment with the valve exhaust port 109 and by blocking the valve inlet port 108 with an upper portion of the piston. Before raising of the dial 14 from the lowered position, a normally extended pull-type solenoid 129 is energized (i.e., retracted) to pull on a lower end of the stop bar 128 causing such bar to pivot in a clockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 8) away from the piston actuator bar 126 to an idle position illustrated in broken line. A normally retracted push-type solenoid 130 is then energized (i.e., extended) to push the piston actuator bar 126 to the illustrated position; whereupon a vacuum is restored to the valve 59 and properly positioned card is picked up from between the adjusting fingers 69-73 by the suction cups 57. As the dial 14 rises to the raised position, the card snaps free of the adjusting fingers. Mid-way through the indexing rotation of the dial 14, the pull-type solenoid 129 is deenergized to return the stop bar 128 to the operative position in readiness for the piston actuator bar associated with the next card holder moving to the alignment station 17. At this time, the push-type solenoid 130 is also de-energized in order to allow pivoting movement of that piston actuator bar as just described.

The control circuit, depicted by way of example in FIG. 8, includes a cam 131 secured to a lower end of the countershaft 24 within an enclosure 132 shown in FIG. 2. A lobe 133 fixed on the cam 131 is adapted to contact a cam follower 134 fixed to a normally closed switch 135. In operation, the switch 135 when closed causes a motor control circuit 143 to energize the gear reduction motor 26. However, if the dial 14 is lowered to the lowered position, the cam lobe 133 pushes the cam follower 134 in a manner opening the switch. 135 to de-energize the gear reduction motor 26. This stops the dial 14 from further movement. The shape of the annular cam slot 36 defined by the cam sleeves 37 and 38 on the countershaft 24 (see FIG. 2) is such that the dial 14 is fully lowered before the switch 135 is opened to de-energize the gear reduction motor 26. Moreover, the dial 14 remains in the lowered position until after subsequent energization of the gear reduction motor 26 has moved the cam lobe 133 to allow the switch 135 to again close.

Operation of the alignment station 17 is regulated by a control logic 136 and a driver circuit complex 137 including driver circuits 1370, 137b and 1376. When an operator initiates a machine cycle by manually closing a button switch 138, the control logic 136 is energized to first energize the driver circuit 137a which in turn energizes the rotary solenoid 82. As previously described, energization of this solenoid causes the adjusting fingers 69-73 to move into edge contact with an aperture card 41 located between such fingers. Closing of the switch 102 when the adjusting finger 72 contacts one edge of such card provides an input to the control logic 136 indicating that a card is present at the alignment station 17. A lobe 139 on the solenoid disc 83 closes a normally open switch 140 to provide an input to the control logic 136 indicating that an aperture card has been properly positioned by the adjusting fingers 69-73. When these two conditions are met, i.e., the card is present at the alignment station and is properly positioned by the adjusting fingers, the control logic 136 advances to another state and then energizes the driver circuit 137!) which in turn energizes the pull-type solenoid 129 to pivot the stop bar 128 in a clockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 8) away from the piston actuator bar 126 to the idle position illustrated in broken line. The stop bar 128 then closes a normally open switch 141 to provide an input to the control logic 136 indicating that such bar movement has been completed. At this time, the control logic 136 advances to a further state and now energizes the driver circuit 1370 which in turn energizes the push-type solenoid to return the piston actuator bar 126 to the illustrated position. Upon this occurrence, the annular groove 107 on the piston 105 establishes fluid communication between the valve inlet port 108 and the vacuum line 58, as shown in FIG. 8. Accordingly, the properly positioned card is picked up by the suction cups 57. Simultaneous with restoring vacuum to the suction cups, final movement of the piston actuator bar 126 serves to close a normally open switch 142 to provide an input to the control logic 136 indicating that such card is being picked up by the suction cups 57. With the closing of the switch 142, the control logic 136 changes state and energizes the motor control circuit 143 which in turn energizes the gear reduction motor 26 to first raise and then rotate the dial 14. The control logic 136 contains a hold circuit (not shown) which en ergizes the gear reduction motor 26 until the cam lobe 133 moves out of contact with the cam follower 134 to allow closing of the previously opened switch 135. Closing of the switch 135 provides an input to the motor control circuit 143 and the control logic 136 indicating that motor drive is now maintained through that switch. With initiation of motor drive, of course, the dial 14 rises and the properly positioned card snaps free of the adjusting fingers 69-73. When the cam 131 on the countershaft 24 has rotated 180, corresponding to one-half of the 60 indexing rotation of the dial 14, the lobe 133 on the cam 131 pushes a cam follower 144 fixed to a normally closed switch 145 to open this switch. Opening of the switch 145 provides an input to the control logic 136 which in turn de-energizes the driver circuits 137a-137. This, of course, de-energizes the rotary solenoid 82 (to retract the adjusting fingers 69-73 to their respective idle or retracted positions), the pulltype solenoid 129 (to return the stop bar 128 to the operative position), and the push-type solenoid 130 (to allow pivoting movement of the piston actuator bar 126 associated with the next card holder moving to the alignment station). The motor control circuit 143 enables motor drive to be maintained through the switch 135 until the cam lobe 133 again pushes the cam follower 134 to open such switch, thereby deenergizing the gear reduction motor 26. Thus the countershaft 24 is allowed to complete a single revolution to rotate the dial 14 the required 60.

After an aperture card 14 has been properly positioned and removed from the alignment station 17, such card is carried by a card holder 15 to the camera station 18, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. This section 18 includes a unitary camera structure 151 having a head member 152 rigidly connected to a tapered enclosure 153 that extends upwardly from a box-like copyboard housing 154. As shown most clearly in FIG. 2, three resilient rubber support members 155 connect the camera structure 151 with several brackets on the machine frame 11 to provide a resilient three-point suspension that maintains the camera structure in a fixed vertical position.

A lower wall 156 of the copyboard housing 154 is provided with a wide slot 157 adapted to be spanned by a suitable copyboard assembly 158. This assembly 158, shown by way of example, includes a frame 159 holding a flat glass plate 161 on which is placed a radiograph 162 or similar light transmissive material to be copied. A lateral opening 163 in the copyboard housing 154, shown in FIG. 1, is aligned with a rigidly supported tray 164 that supports the copyboard assembly 158 when such assembly is slid out of the copyboard housing 154 to permit replacement of any copied material with uncopied material. When the copyboard assembly 158 is located within the copyboard housing, such assembly is positioned directly above an open-top lamp housing 165 rigidly supported by the machine frame 11 and below but out of physical contact with the camera structure 151. Typically, the lamp housing 165 encloses a plurality of parallel extending tubular lamps 166, but other types of light sources could obviously be substituted. If the machine is also to be used for copying opaque rather than light transmissive material, appropriate illumination means are incorporated within the camera structure itself as represented in broken lines by two lamps 167.

The head member 152 of the camera structure 151 supports an objective lens system 168 below an electrically operated shutter 169 aligned with a rectangular exposure opening 171 in the head member. When an aperture card 41 is sandwiched between a card holder platen 47 and the flat top surface of a rectangular rib on the head member 152 surrounding the exposure opening 171, the film insert 44 on such card is aligned accurately with the exposure opening. Moreover, the film insert 44 is held in a flat horizontal plane, in contact with the film holding surface 61 on the platen 47, by the application of a vacuum through small openings (not shown) in the platen and the film holding surface (see FIGS. 4 and It will be noted, in FIG. 2, that the mated platen 47 and camera structure 151 are in physically supported cooperation with other members of the machine only through the springs 49 and the resilient support members 155, thereby effectively isolating the camera structure from all external vibrational influences.

After the film insert 44 on an aperture card 41 has been exposed, such card is carried by a card holder 15 to the first processing station 19 where the card is squeezed between the platen 47 of the card holder and a rectangular rib of a nozzle plate through which develop and stop processing fluids are delivered in sequence to a lower face of the film insert. At the second processing station 20, the same type of operation is repeated with fix and wash processing fluids. To allow the film emulsion to be completely flooded by the processing fluids without danger to those fluids escaping and wetting more of the card 41 than the edges adjacent the film insert 44, the platen 47 must squeeze the card against the rectangular ribs of the processing stations 19 and 20 with substantially more spring force than is required at the exposing station 18. Therefore, the card engaging surfaces of the processing stations 19 and 20 are simply located somewhat higher than the corresponding surface of the exposing station 18 in order that the downward movement of the dial 14 causes the support plate 45 of the card holder 15 not only to compress the four springs 49 but also to compress a substantially stronger and larger helical compression spring 172, shown in FIG. 5, which serves no function except at the processing stations. As shown in FIG. 5, each one of the card holders 15 has a stud 173 fixed to the platen 47 and loosely seating the spring 172. Following the washing operation, the final indexing rotation and vertical movement of the dial 14 brings the processed card to exit station 21, where such card is dried by heated air before being released by the vacuum cups 57 and discharged into an appropriate chute or receptacle.

Although the present invention has been illustrated in use with aperture cards, it will be appreciated that the invention can be similarly used with other 'photographic material such as film sheets.

The present invention has been described in detail with particular reference to an illustrative preferred embodiment thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected withthe spirit and scope of the invention as described hereinabove and as defined in the appended claims.

we claim:

1. An improved photographic apparatus of the kind for exposing photosensitive film inserts mounted in the apertures of aperture cards, wherein there is provided a card loading station, a film exposing station, and a card holder for moving an aperture card along a path from said loading station to said exposing station and for locating the card in an exposing position in which its film insert can be exposed at said exposing station, and wherein the improvement comprises:

a card positioning station disposed along the path of movement of said card holder between said card loading station and said film exposing station;

a plurality of card positioning members disposed at said card positioning station, said positioning members spaced apart to allow receipt of an aperture card therebetween and to allow edge contact with such a received card;

an actuator member movable in first and second opposite directions;

means supporting said card positioning members for movement between respective idle positions, in which an aperture card can be loosely received between said positioning members, and respective engaged positions, in which said positioning members are in edge contact with such a received card for positioning the received card in a particular relation to said card holder which enables said holder to accurately locate the received card in the exposing position;

said card positioning member supporting means including a plurality of slide bars from which said card positioning members respectively project and means supporting said slide bars for movement toward and away from said actuator member for moving said positioning members respectively to their engaged and idle positions;

a plurality of link bars pivotally coupled to said actuator member;

means supporting said link bars for movement into and out of a motion transmitting relation with said slide bars respectively in response to said actuator member moving in the second and first directions, said link bars moving into such motion transmitting relation with said slide bars to move said slide bars away from said actuator member and resultingly move said card positioning members to their idle positions; and

spring means elastically connecting said slide bars and said link bars for moving said link bars toward said actuator member, in response to movement of said actuator member in the first direction, and resultingly moving said card positioning members to their engaged positions.

2. The improvement as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

means, connected to said card holder, activatable for securing an aperture card to said holder and deactivatable for releasing the card from said holder;

means for deactivating said card securing and releasing means to release an aperture card from said card holder at said card positioning station and for activating said securing and releasing means to secure an aperture card to said holder in the particular relation to said holder which enables said holder to accurately locate the card in the exposing position; and

means connected to one of said card positioning members for detecting the absence of an aperture card between said positioning members and, in response thereto, for preventing activation of said card securing and releasing means at said card positioning station.

3. The improvement as recited in claim 1, wherein said card positioning member supporting means includes means supporting said card positioning members for movement between respective first positions, in which said positioning members border an area which is larger than that occupied by an aperture card received between said positioning members, and respective second positions, in which said positioning members border an area which is smaller than that occupied by the received card, wherein said card positioning member supporting means further includes means for restricting movement of said positioning members between the respective first and second positions, and wherein said spring means elastically connecting said card positioning members and said actua tor member exerts an urging force on a respective one of said positioning members which is weaker than an urging force exerted by said spring means on other of said positioning members so as to prevent said one positioning member from moving to its respective second position by edge contact with an aperture card received between said positioning members.

4. An improved photographic apparatus of the kind for exposing photosensitive film inserts mounted in the apertures of aperture cards, wherein there is provided a card loading station, a film exposing station, and a card holder for moving an aperture card along a path from said loading station to said exposing station and for locating the card in an exposing position in which its film insert can be exposed at said exposing station, and wherein the improvement comprises:

a card positioning station disposed along the path of movement of said holder between said card loading station and said film exposing station;

a plurality of card positioning members disposed at said card positioning station, said positioning members spaced apart to allow receipt of an aperture card therebetween and to allow edge contact with such a received card;

means supporting said card positioning members for movement between respective idle positions, in which an aperture card can be loosely received between said positioning members, and respective engaged positions, in which said positioning members are in edge contact with such a received card for positioning the received card in a particular relation to said card holder which enables said holder to accurately locate the received card in the exposing position;

means, connected to said card holder, activatable for securing an aperture card to said holder and deactivatable for releasing the card from said holder;

means for deactivating said card securing and releasing means to release an aperture card from said card holder at said card positioning station and for activating said securing an releasing means to secure an aperture card to said holder in the particular relation to said holder which enables said holder to accurately locate the card in the exposing position; an

means connecting to one of said card positioning members for detecting the absence of an aperture card between said positioning members and, in response thereto, for preventing activation of said card securing and releasing means at said card positioning station.

5. An improved photographic apparatus of the kind for exposing photosensitive film inserts mounted in the apertures of aperture cards, wherein there is provided a card loading station, a film exposing station, and a card holder for moving an aperture card along a path from said loading station to said exposing station and for locating the card in an exposing position in which its film insert can be exposed at said exposing station, and wherein the improvement comprises:

a card positioning station disposed along the path of movement of said card holder between said card loading station and said film exposing station;

a plurality of card positioning members disposed at said card positioning station, said positioning members spaced apart to allow receipt of an aperture card therebetween and to allow edge contact with such a received card;

means supporting said card positioning members for movement to respective first positions, in which said positioning members border are area which is larger than that occupied by an aperture card received between said positioning members, and for movement to respective second positions, in which said positioning members border an area which is smaller than that occupied by the received card;

means for restricting movement of said card positioning members between the respective first and second positions;

means for moving several of said card positioning members from the respective first positions into the respective second positions and for moving at least one other of said positioning members from its respective first position against an aperture card received between said positioning members in a manner pushing the received card into edge contact with those of said positioning members in the respective second positions, for positioning the received card in a particular relation to said card holder which enables said holder to accurately locate the received card in the exposing position;

said card positioning member moving means including a rotary solenoid energizable for rotation in a given direction and a plurality of spring and linkage means disposed about said solenoid and interconnecting said card positioning members an said solenoid, respectively, in a manner such that energization of said solenoid can pull said positioning members from the respective first positions into the re said positioning members from moving to its respective second position by edge contact with an aperture card received between said positioning members. 

1. An improved photographic apparatus of the kind for exposing photosensitive film inserts mounted in the apertures of aperture cards, wherein there is provided a card loading station, a film exposing station, and a card holder for moving an aperture card along a path from said loading station to said exposing station and for locating the card in an exposing position in which its film insert can be exposed at said exposing station, and wherein the improvement comprises: a card positioning station disposed along the path of movement of said card holder between said card loading station and said film exposing station; a plurality of card positioning members disposed at said card positioning station, said positioning members spaced apart to allow receipt of an aperture card therebetween and to allow edge contact with such a received card; an actuator member movable in first and second opposite directions; means supporting said card positioning members for movement between respective idle positions, in which an aperture card can be loosely received between said positioning members, and respective engaged positions, in which said positioning members are in edge contact with such a received card for positioning the received card in a particular relation to said card holder which enables said holder to accurately locate the received card in the exposing position; said card positioning member supporting means including a plurality of slide bars from which said card positioning members respectively project and means supporting said slide bars for movement toward and away from said actuator member for moving said positioning members respectively to their engaged and idle positions; a plurality of link bars pivotally coupled to said actuator member; means supporting said link bars for movement into and out of a motion transmitting relation with said slide bars respectively in response to said actuator member moving in the second and first directions, said link bars moving into such motion transmitting relation with said slide bars to move said slide bars away from said actuator member and resultingly move said card positioning members to their idle positions; and spring means elastically connecting said slide bars and said link bars for moving said link bars toward said actuator member, In response to movement of said actuator member in the first direction, and resultingly moving said card positioning members to their engaged positions.
 2. The improvement as recited in claim 1, further comprising: means, connected to said card holder, activatable for securing an aperture card to said holder and deactivatable for releasing the card from said holder; means for deactivating said card securing and releasing means to release an aperture card from said card holder at said card positioning station and for activating said securing and releasing means to secure an aperture card to said holder in the particular relation to said holder which enables said holder to accurately locate the card in the exposing position; and means connected to one of said card positioning members for detecting the absence of an aperture card between said positioning members and, in response thereto, for preventing activation of said card securing and releasing means at said card positioning station.
 3. The improvement as recited in claim 1, wherein said card positioning member supporting means includes means supporting said card positioning members for movement between respective first positions, in which said positioning members border an area which is larger than that occupied by an aperture card received between said positioning members, and respective second positions, in which said positioning members border an area which is smaller than that occupied by the received card, wherein said card positioning member supporting means further includes means for restricting movement of said positioning members between the respective first and second positions, and wherein said spring means elastically connecting said card positioning members and said actuator member exerts an urging force on a respective one of said positioning members which is weaker than an urging force exerted by said spring means on other of said positioning members so as to prevent said one positioning member from moving to its respective second position by edge contact with an aperture card received between said positioning members.
 4. An improved photographic apparatus of the kind for exposing photosensitive film inserts mounted in the apertures of aperture cards, wherein there is provided a card loading station, a film exposing station, and a card holder for moving an aperture card along a path from said loading station to said exposing station and for locating the card in an exposing position in which its film insert can be exposed at said exposing station, and wherein the improvement comprises: a card positioning station disposed along the path of movement of said holder between said card loading station and said film exposing station; a plurality of card positioning members disposed at said card positioning station, said positioning members spaced apart to allow receipt of an aperture card therebetween and to allow edge contact with such a received card; means supporting said card positioning members for movement between respective idle positions, in which an aperture card can be loosely received between said positioning members, and respective engaged positions, in which said positioning members are in edge contact with such a received card for positioning the received card in a particular relation to said card holder which enables said holder to accurately locate the received card in the exposing position; means, connected to said card holder, activatable for securing an aperture card to said holder and deactivatable for releasing the card from said holder; means for deactivating said card securing and releasing means to release an aperture card from said card holder at said card positioning station and for activating said securing an releasing means to secure an aperture card to said holder in the particular relation to said holder which enables said holder to accurately locate the card in the exposing position; an means connecting to one of said card positioniNg members for detecting the absence of an aperture card between said positioning members and, in response thereto, for preventing activation of said card securing and releasing means at said card positioning station.
 5. An improved photographic apparatus of the kind for exposing photosensitive film inserts mounted in the apertures of aperture cards, wherein there is provided a card loading station, a film exposing station, and a card holder for moving an aperture card along a path from said loading station to said exposing station and for locating the card in an exposing position in which its film insert can be exposed at said exposing station, and wherein the improvement comprises: a card positioning station disposed along the path of movement of said card holder between said card loading station and said film exposing station; a plurality of card positioning members disposed at said card positioning station, said positioning members spaced apart to allow receipt of an aperture card therebetween and to allow edge contact with such a received card; means supporting said card positioning members for movement to respective first positions, in which said positioning members border are area which is larger than that occupied by an aperture card received between said positioning members, and for movement to respective second positions, in which said positioning members border an area which is smaller than that occupied by the received card; means for restricting movement of said card positioning members between the respective first and second positions; means for moving several of said card positioning members from the respective first positions into the respective second positions and for moving at least one other of said positioning members from its respective first position against an aperture card received between said positioning members in a manner pushing the received card into edge contact with those of said positioning members in the respective second positions, for positioning the received card in a particular relation to said card holder which enables said holder to accurately locate the received card in the exposing position; said card positioning member moving means including a rotary solenoid energizable for rotation in a given direction and a plurality of spring and linkage means disposed about said solenoid and interconnecting said card positioning members an said solenoid, respectively, in a manner such that energization of said solenoid can pull said positioning members from the respective first positions into the respective second positions, and at least one of said spring and linkage means exerting a pulling force on a respective one of said positioning members which is weaker than a pulling force exerted by other of said spring and linkage means on other of said positioning members so as to prevent one of said positioning members from moving to its respective second position by edge contact with an aperture card received between said positioning members. 